The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1887-03-05
A WON AN HANGED.
Execution of Mrs. Druse-H istory of the
Crime for W hich She suffered.

and DEPUTIES i'll order Mrs. ID. use was
dressed in black cashmere. with a lace
edgiug On the neck and sleeves Sue wore
ID small shawl over her shoulders, that
was loaned 10 her by MIS-. Cook.
THE SCENE At THE sCAFFoLD.
The crowd about the courthouse and
Jail was very quiet aud orderly through
out. AT IL AZ MIS-. Druse aud DR.. Powell
knelt on the floor OF the Scat"ld under
the rope. Mrs. Druse held her d lighters
bouvuet i'll her hand, and closed her yes
while Dr.. Powell offered prayer
She was th.u asked II she had an,thing
to say when she referred Powell,
who thanked all those " no had b. ell KIND
to her, aud lmpIoied all OF her entlnles
to forgive her, as she ;"rgaTr all. ana he
further SAID: And new WISH L" speak
a word for nv self. not To You only. but
to the whole world. | have leo upon my
arm this Sulrowlug enid ol earth to the
fatal spot and stand by her s.de as her
| tue friend i'll t.,uhle, but | AIN not a
| party to tins ghasllN sceue. | have no
maurer OF sN mratby with II. 1t seems
| to me out OF place III the civilization OF
| onr day and lucumpat, bic with the sweet
| spirit of our Christian religion aud | can
but hope that The humane people ut onr
| beloved land will from THIS dark day
sweep the law OF punishment 10y death
| into evt rlasting oblivion. Turning to
Mrs. Druse. Rev. Dir. Powell said: Go to
| thy tate trenholm. CT lid at sorr"w. 60
| to thy loving fat her. God. q to .hy com
passionate brother. Jesus, aud To the side
of thy angel cuIld VINO has gone before.
| Go bravely, i'll the strength of hope and
| faith that there viii b, Il place tor thee
| someW here above these dark aud dismal
shadows Go, p intent and bleeding
| heart. Thy lraEslt il"m Cath to Heavel
| will be but short. al may tie grace oi
| our Lord .Jes us Christ, the love ri GOD
aud the fellowship OF the Holy SPIRIT OF
truth and Gods grace so with aud
remain with thee
THE kX ECU TION.
Dr.Powell then pre- ssed Mis-. D.use's
hand and lett the Jail yald. carrying
Mary bouquet with him. Deputy Nc
kluley plnioued Mrs. Druse arms
knees aud feet. She maintaiued her com
posture and was firm until Deputy B,llou
put the black cap on her head and adj
usted the rope. deputy Maniou, who
stood at her right, then babe her goodoy
as she turned and. looking into uls eyes,
smiled and pressed his hand. Deputy
Ballou adjusted the moose uuder ana
back of Mrs. DIuSe'S lett ear and pulled
The cap over her lace. Mrs. Dluse
moahtd, cried and gualiy snrieked ST
luud that her VOICE " AS bead III the jail
and stleet aulolring. Sheriff COOK
dropped his hand over his breast aha
Deputy Ballou sprung the trap. The
2l3-pound weight dropped at II As a. " :,
and the womau's bod, was hited aO, III
three feet above the floor OF the gallows.
Theae was but one CONFUSION or muscu-
lar contraction OF the body, ana the BODY
then hung quiet. Drs. Kay and Suitel
took observ atlons of the Womon's pulse
and heart during the time she was hang
ing. They pronounced her dead al II O3
p. NJ. hut I've body was left hanging
until II IA, 26 MINUTES after the weight
tell, when 1t was taken down by oIder oi
the sheriff. Upon examination, the sur.
geons declared that the neck was not
b. oxen aud that death Was CAUSED by
strauguiatiun. Rev DR.. Puwellre cntersa
the I'll yard md took poSsesslJn OF the
remaius vi Mrs Druse III compliance
with her request.
HER LAST STATEMENT.
L. compliance with the request from
| her daug liter that she shou Il not leave d
blot ou her name, MIS-. Dru>e asked
! Horatio p. WitheIsiin,, a notary al d one
of the sneIitf's Jur>, L" prepare tie iol-
| loving aiiidavl,. which she signed with IA
| firm hand:
state OF n w York, Counvy OF Herki-
mer.-l, Roxalaua D:uat. III my last
moments 90 hereby snIvmniy swear anu
aiti III that my dnug ,ler, Mar: Druse.
VINO is now confined in til o londag;.
p"nltentiarN, had no1hlng whatever 10 10
with the kIllIrg "a nrr Iatu-r, William
| DluSe, OF vita The disposition III his
! body. This staltmt nj have tpett' diy
made, ami aIw ~ d,iher,d 10 IL at the
inqLest aud since my cuutinrre:'.. nay
| dat ghter, Mary D:us", Is ats, Iu'eiy i'll
noceut, and was III 10 way Connected
with her fathers death.
RS. l.uHAIANA DRTSE.
luis Was the INST execution that ever
occurred within the present lmlIs o!
Herkimer county, although nearly -hirty
or forty murders are on record
TIE CRIME FOR WHICH MRS DRuSE SUE
FEKED.
WIN. Druse, who IS u years old when
he was killed, lived Oh farm in the
township Of W .rren. in the southern part
of IIerklmer county, \. \. He married
RoxaIana Teift, November -, 1864
They had three children-Narv, the
eldest, now under lite sentence in the
Onondaga penitentlary tor participation
in murder; Nellie, wLo was hai-witted
and who died at the age of ten, and
George the youngest. u. use was IA man
of ungovernable temper, and made the
lives of his wife and children miserable
He Frequently choked and beat his wife,
who, until hardened by continued Dad
treatment, appears tn have been d woman
OF not IA bad disposition. aud bet weeu her
and the children there was The warmest
affection. Druse seems to have had some
popularity outside CT his home, as he vas
\ good pmpaul0n Tor all but his own
family. The nearest neig hbnrs to the
nruses were William -Eiwood, a Young
married man, who lived about hall mIi.
TO the east, aud Cuas. Il ,Jes, who nyed
about hall IA miles To the west of the
Druse house. Gates WAS married to
Mrs. Druse $ sister and ha | two sons,
Chester and Frank. Frank, the Young
est, occasionally came over to work for
the DruseS, and Was a W tueSS to many
of Druse's outbreaks of temper. Butn
William f wood aud Chester Gates were
irt quent visitors at the DruSe house. and
there was scandal current about Elwood
and Mrs. Druse. Ga December Is 1884.
d. farmer driving past the Druses house
noticed newsPap rs pluned up to the
tront " widows, aud IA nauS ,atlug smoke
coming from the pdrlor stove A few
DAYS later Druse was missed, and suS
piciou was aroused. Explanations offered
ny Mrs. Druse That her husband had gone
20 New York quoted matters tor d while
The aCcl;lenJai discovery of blood
stained axe caused renewed iuu lirv, aud
Frank Gates, being pressed, confessed
lie said he had Stald at ID uses house
all uIgnI; chat in the morning DruSe came
INTO the Kitchen i'll his usual ugly tenn
per. lie abused his wife and daughter
Diary, aud continued his abuse at the
breakfast table. Ddrns the quarrel
Mrs. DruSe sent George, her sJn, and
Frank Gates out of the house They
went, and III "a few minutes heard "a pis-
toI Shot. Returning to the house, Mrs
Druse met them at the door, pistol in
hand, and placing the weapon in Franks
hand, she commanded him to shoot
Druse, who was sitting in a chair in the
cnruar hlnn6 HhWinr from his moab